2016 will soon be leaving us and may I just say on behalf of Prince, Davis Bowie, Alan Rickman and Carrie Fisher fans everywhere—don’t let the door hit you on the a** on the way out! (Sheesh—you sucked butt horrible year!)

So, I want to finish the playlist for the year on a happy note and pick my “Top 7 Workout Songs of 2016.” These tunes came out in the past year and made an appearance at one time or another on my playlists. Each is special to me for their tunefulness and ability to motivate my students.

I hope you like the selections listed here and maybe one or two may wind up on your iPod soon?

Let me know what you think in the comments below. Also—be sure to leave a few of your favorite workout song suggestions as well!

The Brooklyn Fit Chick “Top 7 Workout Songs of 2016”

24 K Magic:Bruno Mars

This song was sort of a “slow burn” for me. Wasn’t too crazy about it at first but then it just got under my skin and now I need to hear it every day. Bruno knows how to write a hook!

Tearing Me Up: Bob Moses

Bob Moses has a dreaming kind of style to his voice and this tune has a great steady beat that gains in energy as it grooves along. This is one of those songs my students ask the most about after class.

This Is What You Came For:Calvin Harris/Rihanna

I really love opening the class with this collaboration from Calvin Harris & Rihanna as it does that thing I love most—it builds in energy as it moves along. Try NOT to sing along to it—the beat is irresistible!

Welcome to Your Life:Grouplove

If there is anything that has left me in a positive mood, it’s this single by Grouplove that feels both majestic and hopeful for the future. (Warning if you use it for your classes—the chorus is LOUD!)

Wish I Knew You:The Revivalists

This New Orleans band is new to me and this tune is my introduction to their sound. Me likey!

Got Your Number:Serena Ryder

Serena is a Canadian chanteuse who writes fun, catchy pop songs. I like to call this the “perfect second song to a playlist” as it helps to up the energy level.

Hymn for the Weekend: Coldplay & Beyoncé

I love the combination of Chris Martin’s piano with Beyoncé’s lovely voice which builds in energy and excitement as they song along together. One of my favorites of the last year!

That’s it for me this time. See you all in 2017! (Stay safe this holiday weekend!)

The 1957 Children’s Classic Vs. The 1966 TV special & the 2000 Ron Howard-Directed Film

The Margos get into the holiday spirit talking about the all-time holiday favorite “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss. In this episode we explore the differences between 1957 children’s classic book and the two filmed properties of it (the 1966 TV classic and the 2000 rowdy Jim Carey version.

Topics we cover here:

The back story of Theodore Seuss Geisel and his less than cheery view of children

I can’t believe how long it has been since I put one of these together. This year has been kind of a jumble of amazing things and not-so-great things that have been keeping me from Blogging on a regular basis. I hope to fix that in 2017 but in the meantime, I wanted to share my newest playlist that this past weekend earned me lots of shouts of “woot!” and “hell yeah!”

I hope you like the selections listed here and hope one or two may wind up on your iPod soon! Let me know what you think in the comments below. Also—be sure to leave a few of your favorite workout song suggestions as well.

Wicked Game (featuring Anna Naklab):Parra for Cuva

This song was suggested by one of my favorite students (a front-row achiever who has been a regular of mine for over 6 years now!) She heard randomly on either Pandora or Spotify and thought it would be perfect as a warmup tune and darn it– she picked a good one!

I love the dreamy vocals and steady beat.

All the Small Things: blink-182

The video always cracked me up as it spoofed on boy bands of the day though it turns out to be far more of a pop song than a rock one if you ask me.

Fantastic Voyage:Coolio

I really prefer the mix I have from an old MTV compilation CD but I gave it away in a rare “Marie Kondo-inspired” fit of tidiness. The “real” version is fine and gets people in a fun, 90s mood.

Jingo:Santana

This is one of my favorite “go-to” songs for running drills as the percussion beat and searing guitars are impossible to resist. You hear Jingo and you want to move faster and longer.

Hallelujah:The Happy Mondays

I have never heard of this band until viewing the film 24 Hour Party People and fell in love with the music and culture of 80s/90s Britain. This is a longer climb (over 6 minutes) and the beat is perfect for getting people in the mood to load resistance and WORK!

In Da Club:50 Cent

This is one of those tunes that makes everyone in the room bob their heads to the beat of the music. Its tres adorable to watch!

Machinehead: Bush

There are times when I need something that SCREAMS 90s rock and Bush always fits that bill.

Welcome to Your Life:Grouplove

To keep myself motivated and upbeat in 2017 my plan is to include songs with a positive message which is what I assume is going on here. If you decide to play in your classes be aware that the volume makes BIG changes during the chorus meaning it gets VERY loud then.

The Pit: Silversun Pickups

I love me some Silervsun Pickups for sprints and this song does the job very nicely.

Bootylicious:Destiny’s Child

Recently I was getting my bi-weekly pedicure (because I am super fancy like that) when this song came over the headphones of the big, muscular dude sitting next to me (true story!) It made me smile to hear it when he turned to me and said “You have to love Beyoncé and Stevie (Nicks) together in a song!” He is my spirit animal.

24K Magic:Bruno Mars

While not his best work, this tune is fun and bouncy which is all most things need to be to make me happy. Truth!

Bohemian Like You:The Dandy Warhols

(See above about my occasional need for 90s rock)

Madness:Muse

One of my other favorite regulars shows up every Monday and Friday morning wearing pajamas OVER his workout clothes and he loves Muse—so here they are!

That’s it for me this time. What are your new favorite tunes you think I should check out?